The quiet hum of the engines filled the otherwise sterile corridor of the CMC transport ship. It was a vessel meant for speed and stealth, designed to carry precious cargo without attracting attention. For Commander Elise Verkan, however, the hum was a constant reminder of the weight she bore—an old, unfinished task that continued to haunt her.
Elise stood in front of a holographic display in her quarters, tracing the edges of an old battle map. The coordinates flickered, showing battle zones where the CMC had been deployed, but it wasn't the battlefields she was concerned with. It was what had been left behind—the people, the technology, the remnants of lost ambitions.
Her fingers danced across the map, highlighting a sector on the outer rim, a zone marked with a dull red. It was where it all began, where the CMC had made its first attempt at breaking the UOP's hold on the frontier worlds. But something had gone wrong, something that had been buried and erased from the records. Elise was determined to uncover the truth. She wasn't just a soldier; she was a woman with a need for answers.
"Commander," a voice broke through her thoughts. It was Captain Jaren, her second-in-command, standing at the door. He had an unreadable expression, but there was an air of urgency in his tone.
"Speak, Captain," Elise replied, not taking her eyes off the map. She knew what this was about—her obsession with the past was beginning to draw unwanted attention from higher-ups. But it had to be done.
"We've received orders from Central Command," Jaren said, stepping into the room. "They're aware of your... interest in the abandoned project, and they've decided to assign you to a different mission. They want you to report immediately to the hangar. There's a new assignment waiting for you."
Elise's eyes narrowed. She wasn't one to be easily distracted from her goals, especially not now. "A new mission?" she asked, her voice cold. "What do they want from me this time?"
Jaren hesitated, glancing down at his data pad before answering. "They want you to lead a reconnaissance unit. They say it's urgent. The UOP has been making moves in the frontier again, and we need eyes on the ground. It's time-sensitive."
Elise clenched her jaw, frustration building. The higher-ups had always known how to pull her away from her true mission—away from the real questions she needed answered. The CMC didn't care about the consequences of their past actions. They only cared about winning, about maintaining their iron grip on the galaxy. But Elise knew that if she was to continue to climb the ranks, she couldn't ignore their commands. Not yet.
"Very well," Elise said, her voice edged with reluctance. "Prepare the unit. We leave in twenty minutes."
Jaren nodded and left without a word, but Elise remained where she stood, staring at the map. The red zone lingered on the display, mocking her. The project had been abandoned years ago, but Elise couldn't let it go. She had been there, back when the decision had been made to bury it—along with the men and women who had died in the process.
She couldn't shake the memory of that day. The hushed voices, the orders given without explanation, the faces of those who had known something was wrong but had kept quiet. Elise had never been one to follow orders blindly, but that day, she had been forced to.
The truth had been hidden from the public, and the project's records were locked away in the deepest parts of CMC's database. But Elise had always suspected something far more sinister had been going on, and now, more than ever, she was determined to find out.
As she made her way to the hangar, her mind raced with plans. She would complete the mission she was assigned, but as soon as it was done, she would turn her attention back to the project. She would find the truth. And if anyone stood in her way, they would learn the consequences of underestimating her.
The doors to the hangar opened with a hiss, and Elise walked inside, the noise of engines and equipment filling the air. She was greeted by her squad, a group of seasoned soldiers who had proven their loyalty in countless missions. They saluted her, but she gave them a terse nod before heading to the front of the transport ship that awaited them.
"Gear up," Elise said, her voice all business. "We've got a job to do."
The soldiers moved quickly, preparing for the mission ahead. But Elise's thoughts were elsewhere. She knew this mission was just another diversion—a chance for the CMC to keep her occupied while they worked on their own projects. But the truth was still out there, and she wouldn't stop until she uncovered it.
As she climbed into the cockpit of the ship, her mind flashed to the past once more. The mission that had started it all—the one that had turned her into who she was now. It had been years, but the scars it left behind still haunted her. And now, as she prepared for another mission, she knew that her pursuit of the truth was far from over.
Elise Verkan would never stop seeking answers. Not until she knew what the CMC had truly done.